This Fish Had Guts!

August 1977 - Off Provincetown, Massachusetts. We had had a good day so far and had three giant Bluefin Tuna tied by their tails to different cleats on the bow and midships. Each fish was over 800 lbs. For some reason we were still chumming. It was around 4:00 in the afternoon and we did not figure on getting another fish as there were at least 100 Shearwaters (diving birds) eating every single piece of cut Herring that I could throw into the water. We were yelling at them and slashing at them with a long handle gaff, but they were relentless and would not leave the free food buffet.

All of a sudden a reel started to sing and line started to empty from the 130 International reel. We fished 200lb test and had a good 60 - 70lbs of drag set at Strike but this had no effect on our new adversary. The fished screamed off line and was headed for Europe. He seemd unusually tough but we had attributed that too the fact that manuvering was difficult as the little 36' Rybovich had three giants "hanging". He (or she) had its way with us for a good 35 minutes, and after a long time of the fish "dogging" hard on its side our angler finally had the fish near the boat. I reached my hands down to the water to grab the swivel. We were using 585lb test cable leader so I could pull as hard as I could without worry of ever breaking it.

I pulled up, and then the fish would pull me down (slamming my torso against the covering board more than once). This was one of the toughest fish I had ever faced on a "wire" as he was straight down and swimming on his side and pulling down as we moved the boat ahead at five knots. Finally, after at least 90 seconds, I made headway and I got the fish within reach of the gaff. I called for Kenny (the captain) who was at the cockpit controls only ten feet away. I need to now tell you that Kenny and I were among the best teams ever to fight and land Giants. We hardly had to speak to each other when it came time to take the fish. Our motion was fluid and I cannot remember a single stumble or delay while boating one of more than 160 Giants.

BUT, Before he could pick up the gaff (laying on the coverboard) and get next to me, the fish had pulled me back down to the coverboard. I had a double wrap around my right hand and I had my left hand on top of my right pulling as hard as I could. Kenny reached the gaff straight down now with his hands at water level and struck the gaff true.

What happened next was incredible as the fish pulled the 1 inch thick gaff line through Kenny's hands while also pulling double line off of the reel (which was now set at an even heavier drag). The fish stopped when the 30 foot gaff line reached the end and came tight. Together, the angler on the rod, and Kenny & I pulling on the gaff rope, we raised the fish a little at a time. All the while he was pulling incredibly hard for a fish that we had already fought for 35 minutes with heavy drag. Just about when we had him close enough to reach for the tail gaff, the fish sounded again. This time pulling gaff line through both mine and Kenny's hands that we had pulled down over the cover board. Don't forget it was also pulling the double line off of the reel as well.

This time when the gaff line reached the end, the 1" rope stretched for a few seconds, and then at once it relaxed. Neither Kenny or I knew immediately what had happened. That is, until the reel started to scream again. I pulled the gaff line up quickly and found a Pompanette full sized flygaff head straightened out. The tip of the hook was now pointing almost straight enough to be used as a harpoon!

The rest of the story is where it really gets interesting. While I pulled up the gaff line, a cloud of chum  filled the water below me. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Did the Giant puke it up?

Our angler rejoined the fight and this fish fought with a vengeance. Our angler would gain and the fish would take line back. We fought this fish hard another 25 minutes. Luckily we had a 6" fly gaff aboard which I rigged and got ready to use. We finally got the fish back to the boat and finally got the gaff in him. After we did, we noticed something extremely unusual. The fish had a tear (all the way through his belly steak) from his pectoral fin to his ___ hole! He was completely gutted and had a hole in his side around four feet long that totally exposed his stomach cavity, and in this condition, this fish had fought us for 25 minutes BEYOND the first 35 minutes.

The fish was over 800lbs (gutted), but I have seldom seen a fish fight with so much "guts". I have landed around 223 Giant Bluefin, and while they were all tough fish, this one really stood out. I almost wish we had released him.